This post was sponsored by Johnson & Johnson as part of an Influencer Activation for Influence Central and all opinions expressed in my post are my own.
Giving in any capacity has always been a huge part of my life. Back in high school, I used to go on mission trips with church to countries that were so poor that it made your heart literally ache. I was never much for building things, so my volunteering heart always fled to the children and lifting their spirits in any way that I possibly could. One year, in a small village in Jamaica, I sat with a little girl outside in the blazing heat. She was so interested in my phone and the camera and I brushed it off as her never playing with one before. But it went so much deeper than that. This little girl had never seen a picture of herself.
This is something so simple that we take for granted each day. As an adult with a family and a job, my giving now happens in many different forms throughout the year, but I always promised myself that it would be something I would instill in my children as they got older. Blake is much too young to understand and Branden of course isn’t perfect, but we do our part as much as we can so that he knows just how fortunate he is and that we should be grateful for all that we have.
I try my hardest not to make giving a one time, holiday only yearly thing, but a part of our lives. Living in New York City, we send out our laundry to be washed every other week and in the parking lot of a clothing drop off box that goes straight to our local shelter. We make sure that about once a month when we are getting rid of clothing, shoes, blankets, hats – everything – that we gather is together to be dropped in the bin. It has become almost organic at this point and something that we are all used to doing.
With my niece being a childhood cancer survivor, I donate to St. Jude on a monthly basis. You can easily set up a recurring monetary donation to come out of your debit card or PayPal account – even just $5 a month makes a huge difference and I promise you will barely noticed the deduction.
Being introduced to Johnsons and Johnsons Donate a Photo App * this year instantly made me think of that little girl I met in Jamaica many, many moons ago. You simply download the app, snap a picture and choose a charity. You are easily able to share on social media and help raise funds for a cause that is near to your heart. They have also partnered with Save The Children this year, with supports basic health and hygiene needs for families. Simply shop from the catalogue and and Johnson & Johnson will match each donation (up to $450,000)!
I can’t think of easier ways to give back then snapping a photo this season, or a more important reason to take a picture!
Fashionably Yours,
Allison
*Johnson & Johnson has curated a list of trusted causes, and you can donate a photo to one cause, once a day. Each cause will appear in the app until it reaches its goal, or the donation period ends. If the goal isn’t reached, the cause will still get a minimum donation.
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